Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-05-23

ROBERT T. LINCOLN. than in miscel-
laneous or criminal practice. His firm rep
resents an eastern insurance company which
holds several millions of real estate in Chicago
and vicinity, connection which alone is
worth to it nearly s30, 900 year. 1t is SAID
of MIR. Lincoln that he is not too proud tt
take his hat and go out to look up tenant on
examine title, and that as an expert in this
latter direction he has no superiors and but
half a dozen equals in this city. Owing to
the destruction Of the records in the
great fire this is an important and lucrative
branca Of legal work in Chicago All larg,
transactions in real estate are prefaced by
most thorough legal investigation, and tn,
lawyers engaged in this work being person
ally responsible for any losses which may ac-
crue to clients by reason of their lack of cor
dinaty care" the fees are generally fixed &C
cOrding to the amount of money involved
For scrutinizing the title to n valuable trac'
purchased last summer by Marshall Field,
Chicago's merchant prince, a matter of three
or four days work, Mr.. Lincoln received a
fee said to have been s., 900, and the largest
ever paid for a similar service in the west
The income of the firm Of which Mr. I.incolr
is member has been estimated at $50, 900 u
year. 49,
Robert Lincoln's mother wanted him, her
first born, to WOO fame as n soldier. One of
the dreams of this ambitious Kentucky
woman was to see her husband in the presi-
dents chair, and another was to send her son
to West Point and make a general of him.
Robert had no taste FOR war and almost alb
horred it, but to please his mother early be-
gan a course of preparatory studies, including
French. This language he mastered, not in
the usual fashion, but thoroughly, before he
was IL years of age, or about the time he
entered Harvard. But for his fathers cleo
ton to congress few years before, it is likely
Mrs. Lincoln would have had her way and
sent the boy to West Point OF course Abra-
ham Lincoln could not use his power as a repre-
sentative to secure this much sought prefer
ence for his own son, but later on the ambitious
mother carried her point by hav ing the young
man assigned to the staff Of Gen. Grant as
captain and adjutant general, though ever
this was opposed by his father, then president
Abraham Lincolns son found himself Oh
his fathers death well equipped for the battle
Of life. He had been carefully educated and
reared, and was robust young man of %
Nor did he waste any time in getting at his
work. Coming directly to Chicago, he here
resumed the study Of law which he had begun
at Harvard, and was admitted to the bar in
1867. An old and wealthy friend of his
fathers, j. Young Scammon, took him in as
partner, and practically turned over to him
large business. He at once found himself in
charge of several large estates, and devoted
himself to their care with such industry and
business keenness that his reputation began
growing in the right direction almost from
the outset. At the very beginning of his
career as full fledged lawyer an incident oc-
CURED which has seemingly exerted marked
influence upon him from that day to this. A
man named Hume wanted to lease house
Lincoln, with his usual caution, determined
70 learn something of the applicants charac-
ter, and SO sent for Fernando Jones, an old
friend OF his fathers, who had been Hume's
landlord Jones obeyed the summons, and
walked up two flights of stairs to the young
lawyers office. "You have sent for me and
here l am. What can do for youl" said the
'aller, who was a prominent and wealthy
'itizen. Lincoln had only begun his inquiry
concerning Hume, when Jones interrupted
him:
IL like your zeal, Mr.. Lincoln" he
aid, "and think you are starting out
veil in thus making inquiries concerning the
'haracter OF your proposed tenants. But
ven If you are the son OF q martyred pres
lent, don't you think that when you want to
see gentleman, particularly an elderly
nan, on business, in which you are inter
sSted and he Is not, it would be better for you
make the call, instead OF summoning the
'ther to your object bid you good day, MIR.
Fifteen minutes later Robert Lincoln was
It the office Of Fernando Jones.
81 have come, Mr.. JONES'" he began, "to
pol
"Not another word, Robert. AS for this
man Hume, he is a safe tenant. He pays